Update On Roosevelt Island Steam Plant Emergency Demolition

As reported November 24, the NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD) has begun site planning and permitting for the demolition of the decommissioned Roosevelt Island steam plant.

According to a HPD spokesperson:

… In response to an Emergency Order issued by the Department of Buildings, HPD has contracted the emergency demolition of the steam plant and smokestacks on Roosevelt Island to Statewide Demolition….

… Statewide Demolition will address asbestos as required, remove the oil tanks, and remove the debris from the demolition under the required permits from various city agencies. …

A Roosevelt Island resident asked yesterday:

Can you do an update story on the Steam Plant demolition debate/plan/controversy? The RIOC Operations committee meeting, and subsequent board meeting in Dec, raised significant concerns. And I have yet to see any meaningful updates from RIOC leaders, more credible or transparent sharing of details, justification for demolition, consideration of options etc. Thanks!

Following the December 2, 2025 Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Operations Advisory Committee meeting discussion of the Steam Plant demolition, Roosevelt Island Historical Society (RIHS) President Judy Berdy reported:

Last evening, the RIOC Operations Advisory Committee – along with the RIOC President, RIOC staff, and residents – met with a representative of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) to discuss the demolition of the Steam Plant under the “Emergency Demolition Order” of the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB).

The sole HPD representative at the meeting was Rachel Swack, Acting Chief of Staff at HPD. Ms. Swack is not an engineer, lawyer or expert on the project. No representatives from DOB or Statewide Demolition (the contractor) were present.

The first question posed was: Why is this being treated as an emergency now, since the plant closed in 2013?

We were presented with a copy of the handwritten Emergency Demolition Order from DOB.

Ms. Swack presented a spreadsheet, provided by Statewide Demolition, identifying the initial tasks and timelines covering the first two months of the 9-12 month demolition project.  

The project is estimated to cost $7,300,000, and does not include any remediation of the steam tunnel that runs under the Queens-side promenade between the Steam Plant and Coler Hospital.

When asked detailed questions, Ms. Swack had no specific answers.  Her reply to the question about the lack of community involvement was that this is an emergency where public safety was the foremost and critical criteria.  Therefore, community discussions about the merits of the demolition were moot.

Concerns raised about the DOB emergency demolition order included:

• What is the public safety emergency, other than the demolition of the smokestacks? What person or circumstance initiated DOB’s action to assess the Steam Plant for emergency demolition?
• Can the main Steam Plant building, sans smokestacks, be preserved and re-purposed through remediation rather than demolition?
• If public safety is of primary concern, the steam tunnel poses a much greater risk than the Steam Plant building, absent the two smokestacks. The tunnel is at risk of collapse taking down the promenade above it, was the conduit of serious flooding to Coler Hospital during Hurricane Sandy, and poses a threat to vast stretches of our seawall.

Community concerns expressed at the meeting concerning the method of demolition, should it go forward, included the following:

• The most important need is barging all debris off the island.  Ms Swack responded that the contractor was asked to prioritize barging wherever feasible, but that honestly speaking there will be the need for trucking as well. Members of the public were adamant that barging is the only way to protect our singular Main Street road – and the health, safety and peaceful enjoyment of the community.
• Since the area is polluted are soil tests being taken before soil is removed?
• What remediation and removal would be used? Has the EPA been contacted about the pollution monitoring needed?
• What conversations are being held with the MTA since the building is over the N/R subway tunnel built in 1917?
• What conversations have been held with POMA on the safe removal of the two smokestacks?
• What conversations have been held with the Department of Transportation since the site is adjacent to the Queensboro Bridge?
• One audience member, an architect asked for more specific information on the condition of the building and copies of inspections and reports on the condition.

Committee Chair Faye Christian asked Ms. Swack to address all of the community concerns raised at the meeting in a follow-up report. More information, hopefully from knowledgeable HPD/DOB and contractor experts, will be forthcoming.

Ms Berdy followed up with a December 16 email:

We met on December 2nd  about the upcoming demolition  of the Steam Plant. We  have not heard from any of the above about further meetings with the engineers and professionals involved in the project.

When can we expect a meeting with complete plans for environmental protection, barging of debris and safety precautions?

This community has multiple concerns about this “emergency demolition” and must know that every effort is being made to minimize damage to the site and our environment.

So far, no follow up report from HPD.

On December 4, 2025 I asked the NYC Department of Buildings:

I’m following up from last May 2025 correspondence about the demolition of Roosevelt Island Steam Plant at 5 East Main Street. See thread below.

As you may know, NYC Housing Preservation & Development is beginning preparations to demolish the RI Steam Plant based upon a July 2024 Emergency Work Order by the Building Department.

Here is the Emergency Work order.

Is there any more information or Inspection Reports specifically citing what the dangerous conditions are to the Steam Plant Building that require it to be demolished?

A spokesperson for NYC Buildings Department replied December 5:

Inspectors from DOB’s Forensic Engineering Unit determined that the steam plant and smokestacks were in severe disrepair and at risk of collapse.

Conditions of smokestacks included structural cracks, steel straps missing, and leaning. Please see attached photos.

Inspectors observed that the main building had multiple façade issues that were not adequately addressed by the temporary netting that has been installed.

Given the severe state of disrepair of the structures that are posing a hazard to the public, DOB engineers ordered the buildings to be demolished in the interest of public safety….

Today, I asked the NYC Department Of Housing, Preservation & Development:

I’m following up on the  December 12 request below about getting a copy of the Steam Plant demolition materials that Rachel Swack distributed at the December 3 RIOC meeting and any additional info that the community asked her for during the meeting including:

1. Specific safety reasons for the emergency demolition
2. Information on whether any environmental impact study has been done on the Steam Plant demolition regarding the removal of asbestos, oil tanks and other material. If no Environmental Impact Statement, why not?
3. Any decision regarding the barging of demolition materials instead of trucking them off Roosevelt Island?
4. An updated schedule for the Steam Plant demolition?

Thanks for the assistance.

Workers from Statewide Demolition could be seen at the Steam Plant site today as well as signage saying that demolition work is in progress.

Will update when more information received.

Here’s the December 2 RIOC Operations Advisory Committee meeting discussion of the Steam Plant demolition.

As reported November 14, the Steam Plant site is being studied for future residential development as part of the proposed 10 year extension of the Roosevelt Island Master Lease Agreement between New York City and NY State.